


Lucky

by dalida



Series: Lucky [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 16:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7113790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dalida/pseuds/dalida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Season 3.5 drabble. </p><p>Oliver and Felicity have left Starling and settled somewhere on the west coast. They face an unexpected intruder in the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lucky

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic, so please be gentle. I had this idea after the season 3 finale, and it's been sitting on my computer since then.

The sound of rain against the window by his head penetrated the fog of sleep he was in. Strong winds rattled the windowpanes and he heard the loose chains on the gate clinking together in their effort to hold it closed. The weather was unusual for this time of year, and it set his teeth on edge. Nanda Parbat was a dry and barren land, surrounded by mountains that saw powdery snow but no rain, and the earth always inexplicably smelled of petrichor. It filled its inhabitants with both hope and apprehension, always awaiting rainfall that would never arrive.

Oliver would never forget that smell. He had grown to hate the cold on Lian Yu, and thought he’d experienced the worst of it in Russia, but he was mistaken. They were nothing compared to the bone-chilling cold nights that followed a long day under the scorching heat of the Nanda Parbat sun. There was no respite inside the city itself. The walls were musty and damp, the floors cool to the touch, the myriad of tunnels sending a chilly draught through the underground fortress.

Beneath the sounds of the raging storm outside, he heard a scuffling coming from downstairs. He sat up and strained to hear it again over the sudden beating of his heart. There it was! A frantic scratching against the back door.

With a quick glance around the room, he stepped out of bed and slowly made his way down the stairs. The hardwood steps creaked and groaned under his feet, a feature of the old house that reassured him as much as it annoyed its previous occupants. He reached for the poker by the fireplace on his way to the kitchen at the back of the house.

He realised that Felicity’s old baseball bat would have come in handy in this moment. He had teased her endlessly about it when he found it in her apartment before they left, leading to a long discussion about home defence and her argument that it was the only effective weapon against zombies.

Gripping the poker tightly in one hand, he held it over his shoulder as he finally made it to the door. The scratching was more audible now, interspersed with small whines. Still on alert, he undid the rusty chain and bolt and turned the doorknob. The second he opened the door, something big and wet slipped through the gap and brushed past his leg, running to other side of the kitchen.

Straining to make out the shape in the dark, he stalked it to the corner and only paused when he heard the whining again, louder this time. Flicking on the lights, he looked down at the soaked and shivering golden retriever at his feet.

He released the breath he was holding and let the poker drop to the floor with a clatter.

“Lucky,” he admonished as he crouched down to scratch behind the dog’s lopsided ear, “You scared me."

Lucky only blinked at him with his one good eye and proceeded to shake off the water from his coat.

Flinching, Oliver stood again and stepped into the adjoining laundry room. Returning with a towel, he took his place in front of Lucky and dried the dog off.

“What are you doing out in the rain, huh?” he asked.

“Did you get locked out? You know, you can’t scratch on people’s doors every time you get caught outside. Felicity might let you in, but I’m not nearly as nice."

Lucky’s ears perked up at Felicity’s name, and the whining began in earnest.

“You can’t beg for scraps from every unsuspecting neighbour, either."

Despite his words, he opened the fridge and rummaged around for the leftovers he placed in there earlier just for this purpose.

“It’s not pizza, but you’ll like it,” he said, as he set the plate of cooked chicken and green beans in front of Lucky.

He smiled as he watched Lucky scarf down the food.

“Who would have known that’s all it takes to bring down the Arrow's defences?“ a teasing voice interrupted his musings.

He looked up to see Felicity leaning against the doorframe, a soft smile on her face. Her newly-cut hair was a tangled mess, and his old t-shirt dwarfed her tiny frame. She was a dream.

“How long have you been there?” he asked.

“Not long,” she replied, glancing at the abandoned poker on the floor. “But it’s good to know we’re well-protected against intruders of the furry kind."

He huffed out a laugh and stood to wrap his arms around her waist.

“You smell like wet puppy,” she complained, wrinkling her nose at him.

“Really?” he leaned closer, rubbing his face against her neck. Felicity giggled and tried to squirm away, but he held her waist tightly, trapping her in his arms.

She finally managed to escape and stepped away from him, turning back to take his hand.

"Come back to bed, puppy."

**Author's Note:**

> Lucky is based on Lucky from Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye. Maybe he’s staying with Kate. Maybe they’re neighbours. Maybe not.


End file.
